She's a Mongoose
by Silentkiller013
Summary: The air was cold and damp on the night Yua first discovered the curiosity by the name of Kaneki Ken. There were no sparks that connected the two of them immediately, and there was no love at first sight feeling that forced itself into the hearts of either of them. No, this encounter was not even noticed by the young male that was a part of it, and this was not love, but curiosity.
1. Prologue: A New Curiosity

**This is experimental for me (because as we know** _ **Re:**_ **is still not finished), so I may have some difficulty writing or following later plot lines with what I have planned myself. Please bear with me through that when it finally rears its ugly head. Thanks.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Tokyo Ghoul and this is not being written for profit. I do own my characters and ideas.**

The air was cold and damp on the night Yua first discovered the curiosity by the name of Kaneki Ken. There were no sparks that connected the two of them immediately, and there was no love at first sight feeling that forced itself into the hearts of either of them. No, this new encounter was not even noticed by the young male that was a part of it. And what connected the young girl to this new person was intrigue, not love, for though it was clear this Kaneki Ken (a name she would not learn for some time yet) was of the male gender, he had the smell of a female clinging to him quite unnaturally. She couldn't quite place from where, but Yua felt that she recognized the scent. In an attempt to get a better whiff of it, she sniffed a few more times.

"Sumthin' the matter, lil' vixen?" It took all Yua had not to flinch at the nickname. Despite being with the idiot for the past two years, she hadn't gotten used to the wretched name he had started calling her. "Wha'dya smell?" The moron she had to call "master" (because she would have been lucky to remember his name), and whose lap she was lounging on, stroked her back underneath the thin cloth that tried to be more than a bra under her jacket. The man was none too brilliant. A ghoul without even a rank, he couldn't smell or hear like the girl on his lap. He was just a waste of time – one that Yua was content to have – to keep her fears at bay. As long as she had a distraction from the loneliness in her life, she would be content. This ghoul, though dumb as a brick, gave her attention, and that was good enough.

"An unusual scent… Not quite sure… But it's another ghoul…" Her voice, despite her soft whisper, still bounced off the walls of the alleyway they were currently occupying. She took a few more deep breaths, trying to smell past the sex, but it was no use. Her master could stink up the entire city with the smell he emitted after sex. There was no way she would be able to get past the smell the two of them created only a short while ago. It was a wonder she could even smell this new curiosity. He had to be close if she could pick up the subtle scent.

"Ey, he's getting' a bit close ta my territ'ry right now…" As the man grumbled those words, the source of the new smell walked slowly past the alley way. His hood was up, but Yua could tell it was a man. Instinctively she stood to follow. "Ey! Where ya think yer goin', lil' bitch?" The female ignored the half yell her now former master gave, glad that his antics didn't call the other person's attention to her. It was time for a new distraction. "Scuse me!" Another yell that went ignored. "I said," something grabbed Yua's ankle, "where ya think yer goin'?" Suddenly she was upside down, a semi-wet and warm feeling wrapping around her leg. A dull brown Rinkaku coiled from the man's lower back to where it held her in the air.

"I'm following him. I will not be returning." The obvious answer and truth spilled from her lips without problem.

"Like hell! I see now why they call ya a whore, leavin' at the simple un'splained charm of any man, but I've held onta ya fer too long ta just let ya go now. 'Specially not fer that weirdo!" As mentioned before, this man was not the smartest. He liked to show off despite being relatively weak. He wasn't the least bit suspicious when Yua came to him in the first place, and he could barely even hunt for himself half the time. It was the exact reason the girl had come to him in the first place. It left her in control. Always in control, but never seeming like she was. Even while she was dangling in the air, this man had no power over her.

"I don't have time to mess with you." On her command, a grey, pulsing mass of a Bikaku slithered its way around the Rinkaku holding her. With one simple movement, it shattered the tentacle. Yua dropped to the ground, managing to flip to land on her feet. Her former master glared, not seeming to be phased by the shattering of his kagune.

"Wha'dya mean you don't 'ave time ta mess with me? What were these past two years then, eh? Another waste o' time? I don't believe it." The Rinkaku repaired itself as the man spoke, and the female simply held her composure. "Ya were ravin' 'bout the sex earlier too. Was that just a lie?" As much as Yua wanted to nod and tell the truth, she merely stared at the man. "Whatever, I'll just kill ya!" The tentacle shot towards her and with a simple side step she dodged it. Too slow. The strength of an unranked ghoul was always pathetic to her.

"Enough," she said firmly. Her Bikaku struck without flaw, slashing straight through the other ghoul's stomach. A small smirk tugged on her lips as he coughed up blood, sending shivers down her spine. How much she loved to play with inferior beings. Whether she was deceiving them or killing them, it was the most fun to play with them. "I'll make sure your Rinkaku can't help you heal." Yua's smirk turned to a slight grin as she aimed her "tail" again and struck the same wound, this time slithering about inside the man's body to tear out the kakuhou in his back. The strangled sounds her former master made as she erased his chances of survival were sweet bliss to her ears, but as the scent of his blood started to in turn erase the smell she wanted to track, she quickly retracted her kagune and left. She wouldn't lose this chance to change the pace of life she was living. This new curiosity was sure to be something exciting.

She followed the scent by roof top, catching up to her new found interest quite quickly. It didn't seem he was moving that quickly, and he was holding his stomach. She knew that look. The look of starvation. The feeling that left one hanging over their stomach like a decrepit soul with hardly any strength left in the body. The point where a ghoul would snap. There was an older man and a younger woman up the next alley way. Would he encounter them? What would he do? Would he hunt? Yua wanted to know. She wanted to know everything about this new curiosity.

He turned down the next alley towards the woman and man. This was it, the female on the roof tops thought to herself. This was the time she'd get to see what he'd do just to get a meal. Was he picky? Would he kill them both or just one? The man or the young lady? Was he picky about gender? And things were getting interesting in that alley way. The older man approached the young woman, grabbing her. In a drunken stupor as well it seemed. One of the old perverts Yua so loved to torture before devouring them. She could hear the man trying to coax the younger woman to leave with him until the man noticed the new subject that entered the alley way. It seems the hooded boy had stopped, holding onto the wall as if he needed the support. What was he thinking? Was he analyzing the situation? Was he thinking of if he wanted a meal or not? With how starved he looked that shouldn't have even been a question. Could it be that he really was picky? Yua needed to know.

The older man called out to the subject of the girl's interest, and he seemed visibly agitated. He got so close to the younger man that Yua thought for sure he was going to release a kagune and lash out at any moment. Was he being deceitful or just waiting for the right moment to strike? The older man grabbed the jacket that the younger male was wearing, yelling about the kid ignoring him, and finally a strangled warning escaped from trembling lips.

" _ **Don't touch me!**_ " That voice… It was filled with hunger, and uncertainty, and most of all – fear. It was strange to hear from a ghoul. Was he afraid of a human? Was he an even lesser rank than the ghoul she had just killed? A small sigh escaped Yua's lungs and her heart sinking. Maybe her instincts were wrong. Perhaps this man was nothing more than an interesting smell that passed her interest. Now she had to go look for someone else to preoccupy herself with. Maybe her former master was right that she did change who she was with a bit too much. Was it time to settle down? At the young age of twenty?

"What's with your eye?! _Disgusting!_ " The older man was yelling again, but backing away this time. Could he not tell that a ghoul was standing in front of him in his drunken stupor? It seemed he missed an "s" after "eye" in his hammered state as well. Stupid man. "Get outta here! **You monster!** " Yua turned away from the scene. She could take a good guess at what would happen next. The ghoul would either lash out, and kill the guy because of being offended, or he would run away. Neither of those situations seemed interesting enough to capture the female's attention. She didn't even turn back when a sound similar to an ax cutting through wood and the soft squelches of flesh hitting the ground reached her ears. She fully expected to hear a woman's scream from the other person in the alley, but instead heard something much different.

" _You piss me off,"_ came the harsh voice of another female. It caught Yua's attention and quietly she returned to the scene. It was an unexpected one. The boy stood there, frozen, looking at the corpse of the older man, now missing the top of his head – a delicious sight to the female watching from the roof. Standing over the lifeless body was the female that had been standing in the alley as well. It seemed Yua had been too preoccupied with her curiosity to notice the scent of another ghoul in the area. She had completely missed the familiarity of the smell of her own kind. Who was this female?

Yua sniffed a little harder, but not too audibly – in case the female happened to be higher ranking with good hearing. A slight bit more of a sniff and the scent hit her nose like a tidal wave. She knew who this girl was, and knew that she didn't ever want the attention of the female. Instinctively, she ducked down to her stomach with just her eyes peering over the edge of the building. The woman in the alley was an A rank ghoul, Touka Kirishima. For as long as Yua had been living in the 20th ward, she had known never to mess with this woman. Even though she was only in high school, she had taken out several "berserker" ghouls, and at one point had been a ruthless killer. It seems that some of that habit had not worn off yet despite the many times she had been seen being "friendly" with the humans from her school. While Yua, as an A rank as well, knew she could win against this Ukaku user, she didn't want to risk it. An Ukaku already had the advantage over her Bikaku, and despite her slight power over Touka, the female knew she'd just barely make it out of a fight like that with her life.

"Aw man I killed him… And I wasn't even really hungry. Maybe I'll just take an arm. Old man meat's gross though." The boy still stood frozen, drooling, as Touka ripped the forearm off of the corpse at their feet. She turned to look at him, a bit curious it seemed. "What?" She asked, and when she didn't get a response, it seemed something gave her an idea. She held out the arm. "Do you want some?" The girl was actually being nice to a lower ranked ghoul, and it wasn't surprising. There was a reason she was a part of Anteiku. But the boy still wasn't answering her, and in fact Yua could smell the fear emanating from him. She guessed he did have the right to be afraid of Touka if he were already afraid of a human. "So, do you want this or not?" Still no answer. The female moved closer to the boy. "You're not gonna eat?" She peered under his hood and the female on the roof suddenly felt a pang of jealousy. She wanted to know the face of that ghoul all of a sudden. Her interest piqued again, simply out of a jealous thought. _She_ wanted to see past that hood. Why was it that another ghoul was allowed?

"Hey, only one of your eyes is red… That's kind of weird…" Only one eye was red? Yua squirmed with envy. That sounded interesting. Only one activated Kakugan? She had heard a legend about that once. Was it possible this boy was the one eyed ghoul she'd heard about? No, her instinct was never wrong. Screw settling down, this was what she had needed all along! A new object of intrigue! It took all of her strength to keep her kakugan in check. "Wait…" The sound of recognition in the other female's voice took Yua's attention again. "You… Why weren't you eaten?" The boy took a step back, his legs quaking. "Eh…? So Rize… But your eye…" Touka's babbling left Yua lost. Rize? A ghoul she definitely wanted to avoid at all costs. But since the binge-eater had disappeared a short while ago, things had been a bit more relaxed in the area. More importantly, how did the blue haired female already know the boy under the hood? More jealousy stole Yua's heart.

A loud scream filled the alley and the boy took off running. Swiftly, and trying not to make a ton of noise, the female on the roof chased after him, looking back briefly to see the look of confusion and astonishment on Touka's features that slowly turned to anger. But that didn't interest the female chasing the crazed man. What she wanted to know was the story behind him. Why just one eye?

She followed the male to his home, where he stood outside for just a few moments to catch his breath. Luckily, he hadn't heard or smelled her since she started pursuing him. Perhaps he really was extremely weak. That wouldn't make too much sense though, as the one eyed ghoul she had heard about before was extremely powerful. Was he just putting up a front? No, this seemed like genuine feeling and confusion. He even seemed to question the drool dripping from his mouth with a horrified expression. But in the end, he simply entered his apartment and cried himself to sleep. How pathetic.

Yua found a tree that stood outside what seemed to be his livingroom and seated herself against it, body aching slightly from the events of the day. If there was one thing she was thankful for aside from the new object of interest, it was the lack of sex she knew she would be having without someone around to force her into it. With that happy thought in mind she drifted off to sleep, hidden amongst the leaves.


	2. Chapter 1: He's Important - But Why?

**This is experimental for me (because as we know** _ **Re:**_ **is still not finished), so I may have some difficulty writing or following later plot lines with what I have planned myself. Please bear with me through that when it finally rears its ugly head. Thanks.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Tokyo Ghoul and this is not being written for profit. I do, however, own my characters and ideas.**

The next day around noon Yua stirred herself awake when she heard the door to the bedroom close. She peered into the livingroom from her hidden spot in the tree and was finally able to see the man underneath the jacket from last night. Black hair, dark blue-grey eyes, and now that she could see him more clearly, a somewhat boyish face. He walked around without a shirt, as if he had no regard to the fact that he did not have blinds covering his window. The female sized him up. He was even scrawnier than the last guy, and he was so weak she could have hurt him with a sneeze. How has he survived this long as a ghoul? Perhaps he was dependent on someone else?

Shifting her weight and being careful not to shake too many leaves loose (as it _was_ a populated area and if anyone looked up she'd have nowhere to run), she angled herself so she didn't have to turn her neck as far to see in the window. She didn't even grant the poor soul the privacy to change without her eyes constantly watching. She was sizing everything, memorizing every little mark, and even taking notice to the scar that had somehow managed to stay on the boy's side despite having a regenerative body. Privacy didn't matter to her – not when she was gathering information. Gathering intelligence was a close second to not being alone when it came to her priorities, and her priority was getting close to this new subject. To do that, she needed to know everything. She needed to know how to approach him, what he does with himself during the day, how he reacts to certain situations, and so much more. Yua would follow him everywhere until she felt sated enough to actually approach him.

She knew it was wrong. Stalking was heavily frowned upon, and was considered creepy by most everyone except for those that actually stalked others. But the female didn't care and wasn't about to try. She avidly watched her curiosity like a hawk while he readied himself for what seemed to be a day at home. The man took his sweet time putting clothes on, giving her ample time to study his figure, before he moved to the bathroom. At about this time a light tinkling sound told Yua that a phone was going off in the room, and it was completely ignored. Another male's voice sounded over the voice message that was being left slightly distorted to her as it was through an electronic, and her interest simply let it play. He seemed to be lost in thought while listening to his message before he entered the bathroom out the girl's view. She took that moment to look around at the other people on the ground below. So far no one had seen her, and for that she was grateful.

When she looked back, the boy had returned from the bathroom and went to change again for some reason. Was he going out? Perhaps he had changed his mind? Was it something in the message he received that changed his mind? She didn't know, yet found the eye patch he put on somewhat interesting. Could he not control the Kakugan in his eye? She climbed to the top of the tree and jumped on to a nearby roof to find an alley to land in. It wasn't long before she was down to the ground again, and she carefully hid herself so the boy wouldn't see her as he walked by. When he was a good way down the street and there was no one else around, she carefully slipped out of the shadows and started following.

Leisurely she stuck her hands in her pockets and walked like she had all day to get to her destination. On the outside she looked natural – the simple analogy being a duck gliding across the surface of a lake. But on the inside, she was somewhat frantic, her heart trying to pound out of her chest. She looked around like a normal person but what wasn't seen was her careful watch of the male from her peripherals. She had a small smile on her lips but underneath her teeth were clenched together so hard she thought they would break. She had to constantly tell herself not to break into a run to keep up with the person she was following. Her nostrils flared to keep the distinct scent the male secreted. The duck effortlessly gliding across the lake will not show how much work the legs do underneath the surface of the water. And as the boy wandered into a crowded city, those "legs" kicked harder. Despite the cover it granted her, Yua was afraid of losing her target in the sea of people.

A few times Yua _did_ lose him, but thanks to the unusual scent he held she could find him again quickly. None-the-less it made her panic a little bit each time. He was a ghoul, which meant at any point he could sense her and slip away to start following her instead. But it seemed like he didn't even take notice to her presence at all. Was he weak _and_ ignorant? Or perhaps his specialty was blending into human society? He seemed so comfortable on the street – like he had done this countless times despite the dangers of it. It had taken Yua years to get used to crowds and the humans in general, so it was impressive that he seemed to be even calmer than she was in this place. Though the stares she got from men that would notice her choice of attire made it difficult for her to settle down completely.

The boy stopped outside a set of doors that had earlier that day lead to some signing event, and Yua took a seat on a bench nearby. Did he want to go to it? The post on the door said it was finished for the day though. Her muse seemed somewhat disappointed and went to continue walking, but stopped. His shoulders tensed and moments later he raised his hand to his mouth. He bit down on his finger, saliva dripping down his chin, and the familiar look of hunger was back. Had he not eaten even after running into Kirishima yesterday? It wasn't long before people started giving him stares and a wide birth. A few people spoke up but were quickly shushed by others, and Yua knew what would happen if the male didn't soon start walking somewhere other than here – someone who actually knew what was going on with him would report this to the CCG. But before the female ghoul could do anything about the situation, the boy ran off. He was immediately lost to her in the city. A sigh left her lips as she stood and disappeared down an alley once again.

She looked down at her somewhat dirty clothes, realizing she hadn't showered since her escapade with her former "master". She already had a feeling the boy would simply return home, and while it irked her that she could be missing crucial information, she knew she needed to clean herself up. Quietly she made her way home via back alleys that she had memorized to avoid humans, and stepped inside her dark apartment. She had set this place up for her and her former partner, and his stuff was still here. More clothes and items for her she guessed, since she had killed him off. Finally she could wear something comfortable. With a small smile she stepped out of the humiliating clothes she had been forced to wear and washed herself off in the bathroom. With all the dirt and sex that washed off, so did the body foundation she had been wearing.

Finally clean, she looked at herself in the mirror, the small smile disappearing. Her reflection frowned back, chocolate eyes disapproving, equally brown hair stuck in its wetness to dark tan skin. She had double eyelids that made her eyes look large and long legs with slim ankles. Though still petite, her muscular body betrayed the frail looking standard that was common in Japan, but her slim face and nearly hairless body balanced it out. If it wouldn't have been for the dark skin tone she could have been even more beautiful by her country's standards. She had tried everything to keep her skin permanently light. Well, everything a ghoul could do. Surgery wasn't an option with the need to have an RC suppressant and the cost, and bleaching healed right away. It was too expensive to have Uta tattoo her skin pale, and with as much as she already owed the man for her cosmetic supplies and disguise get-ups, she didn't feel like bringing in the cost of that either. That would result in too many favors. Gathering information for that ghoul was dangerous, as nice as he was to her. She had been an information broker for him for a few months until she could start paying him in cash. In that time she had sustained many injuries from other ghouls, and had barely escaped with her life from one or two S ranks. How she managed to do that she'll never know, but she had, and then proceeded to gather more information.

It was when she first started that job that she was introduced to body foundations and oils that would help lighten her skin by covering it. Uta had shown her how to apply it, and for a little while had assisted her in applying it to the areas of her body that she couldn't figure out how to reach. It helped with her job as she needed to disguise herself as someone else. But when she could start paying Uta back outright for her purchases, she quit the job and was able to start living with the man she had killed just last night. Her confidentiality of the information she had learned was her ticket to living. And now, without anyone to try and impress, and when she didn't want to be stared at on the street as much, she would go without the body make-up.

She dried herself off and went to her bedroom. There she pulled out her old partner's clothes and made herself comfortable in them. A dark blue pair of sweatpants, a red tank top, and a black jacket. The dark skin color and boyish clothes would lower her beauty standard and no one would bother with a second glance at her. She pulled her hair into a hairband and stepped out of the apartment, making haste to get back to her muse's house. With how quickly she could travel through back alleys in the city it didn't take her longer than 20 minutes to get there. She climbed the tree again and sat on her perch, not surprised to see that her curiosity was home. He was lying on the floor, the tension in his body still there. A book was next to him, as if he had been reading but it hadn't allowed him to relax. It seemed he still hadn't eaten yet. Was he trying to die?

All of a sudden the boy stood from his fetal position on the ground and grabbed a knife. Why would he need a knife, Yua wondered. Obviously she had some as it was necessary to seem human, but why would he use it in the comfort of his own home? And the oddest thing was that now he was on his phone talking to someone. Something about trading notes made her think he might stab the person that brought them, but that didn't catch her attention. The grip her muse had on the knife was what caught her attention. Something wasn't adding up… Next the phone was set on the table and the male lifted his shirt up to hold in his mouth. He was frail, and that scar still remained. How could a ghoul get such a scar? Wounds healed without leaving scars on ghouls, so how was a scar possible? That train of thought was broken when the male turned his back to her.

The knife was lifted in both hands and Yua watched in astonishment as she slowly pieced together the scene. He was trying to stab himself, and that call for notes must have been the person to come help him. But that would never work. A ghoul's skin is hardened and can't be cut by human tools unless an RC suppressant is used. Had he used one while she was not there? And why? Why was he going to stab himself? Did he want to die? No… Someone would be coming with notes and would find him on the floor bleeding. So what was he trying to accomplish? She had the feeling it was something to do with that scar.

The object of her intrigue was sweating profusely and looked completely frantic. He was shaking and seemed hesitant. The knife plunged downward and she saw the boy buckle with the pressure of the stab. The knife clattered to the ground and the boy slumped against the window. He was breathing heavily, and inches away from him the knife lay, bent and broken. Quite a scene, and it made the girl's head spin as she tried to wrap her head around it. What was that all about? Why was this male not acting like a ghoul? A regular ghoul would have simply stabbed himself with his hand or kagune. Why such a human tool as a knife? And why would he not have used an RC suppressant if he wanted to injure himself with such an object? Any ghoul would know better.

The source of her curiosity slumped forward, his body starting to shake as he cried tears of anguish. The helplessness of his situation lost upon the female outside his window as she watched him, mind searching frantically for answers. He certainly wasn't a disappointment to her intrigue.

Not much later the boy decided to go out again, pulling a sweatshirt over his head with the hood up. This time Yua followed from the roof tops, blending into the shadows. She kept her distance but trailed him with ease, lost in thought most of the way. Many theories ran through her mind. It seemed more and more impossible that this boy was a regular ghoul. With just one Kakugan and the lack of ghoul like behavior, he seemed more human. He definitely smelled like a human too, but smelled like a ghoul at the same time. So if he smelled like a ghoul, why did he not act like one?

Yua watched as her muse rounded a corner towards what she knew to be Anteiku. Outside, stood Touka, cleaning for the night. If it hadn't been obvious that they knew each other last night it was very obvious now. So why was he going to see her after he ran away from her last night? What was going on?

"I'm sorry, the shop's closed…" Touka said pleasantly when she noticed someone approaching her. A small "oh" escaped her lips when she recognized who it was. "You…"

"Please… Help me." The boy had a fine voice that was for sure. But he seemed to be at his wit's end. " _I beg of you!_ " He hit his knees and bowed lowly. The smell of tears reached Yua's nose as she hid behind a billboard nearby. "There is no other person besides you who can help me… Ever since I've had this body everything is terrible… Please… Help me…" Ever since he had his body? What did he mean by that? Could he body swap? That fantasy was a bit of a far stretch. And what did Touka know about it? Why go to her?

" _No._ " Touka glared down at the boy. "From those eyes… And what you were saying, I see… You were originally a human… And now you're a ghoul? Hmph…" The situation, now brought to light for Yua, caused her such great excitement she had to concentrate to control the urge to jump to the ground and tackle the boy. Once a human and now a ghoul? She'd never heard of that before and she was silently thanking her impulsive decision to follow the male. This one would definitely keep her occupied for a long time. There was so much more to learn about him, and this new information opened up a vast door.

"Teach me, former human. What does cake really taste like?" Touka's eyes went dark, and the aura around her grew agitated. "It's so disgusting it makes me want to puke, so I don't really know… But humans seem to eat it like it's good, don't they? Or donuts… And tarts… _**Tell me.**_ " She was yelling now, the boy on the ground looking stunned. " _'Everything is terrible?' Don't make me laugh. So what about me… For me, it's been terrible since I was born._ " Her words were scornful, but Yua understood. While the Bikaku user enjoyed a good hunt and torturing her prey, there was a point where she wished to blend in to society. To be human. It had intrigued her to know what cakes and donuts and tarts tasted like. What human food in general tasted like. But that phase had long since passed for her, the love of the hunt and following her instincts outweighing the delight she received from obtaining information about human food. But Touka took a lot of care and time trying to blend into human society. " _Who could help you, idiot. Go off and die on your own._ " The boy she was talking to looked down, tears still streaming down his face. He seemed solemn, like he had seen a new perspective of life from her.

"Touka-chan, that's enough for now." An older man stepped outside, obviously the owner of Anteiku, and whose name was Yoshimura. Knowing how good the old man was at sensing another presence, she backed behind the billboard a bit more, but still kept her head at an angle where she could see what was going on.

"Boss…" Touka seemed a bit irritated with being interrupted.

"It must have been hard. Please, come in." Yoshimura was opening a door to the shop. It was the door that led to where the supplies would be, as Yua knew. She had gone to Anteiku for a few years when she was a child. Like a typical ghoul, without parents, she needed to find a way to survive, and at that time she couldn't hunt for herself. When she could finally hunt, she left Anteiku without looking back. And now here she was, watching someone that had caught her interest take refuge there. No doubt he would end up frequenting the place, and thus she'd have to go back soon. With the rumors that floated around about her, that wouldn't be easy.

"Boss!? Why…" Touka, surprised and angry turned to face Yoshimura. "This guy… He used to be human!"

"He looks like a ghoul to me. Giving aid to fellow ghouls is our policy, isn't it, Touka-chan?" Yoshimura held the door open for the one eyed ghoul and as Touka walked past him to go inside, she glared. The one eyed followed nervously, and Yua started to move closer to the building, hoping to hear a little more of what was going on. She froze, however, when Yoshimura looked directly at her, his Kakugan shining brilliantly, before he closed the door. There was no way she'd be able to go into the shop now… Not when he knew she was tailing the boy. But there was no reason she shouldn't at least eaves drop a little bit to see how her interest handles the situation he's currently in. So the female silently dropped onto the roof of the building opposite the shop, closing her eyes, and letting her hearing pass through the walls that lead to the fridge in the café.

At first, all she could understand was "come back when you need to", and then her abilities made everything inside the building seem like the speakers were right in front of her. A small "thank you" was voiced and then all of a sudden the boy was back out of the building.

"Boss… Why did you give a guy like him…"

Yua was about to follow the subject of her intrigue, but the conversation that started inside the building caught her attention. She knew the boy would go back home, so she stayed out of curiosity. Perhaps there would be something juicy she might be able to pick up…

"Touka-chan. I wonder, do you know the news about the organ transplant incident that happened recently?" Organ transplant? Even Yua hadn't heard about it. Then again for the past few days she had been away from her laptop and hadn't kept up with the news. It was her former partner's fault for not liking to sleep inside. He always preferred to be outside to keep an eye on his "territory", and she wasn't really supposed to leave his side, as was his orders over her.

"No… Not the details," was Touka's grumbled reply.

"Well, the start of it was… Two students who were victims of a fallen metal construction beam. One of them, the girl, was killed instantly… But the other, a young man, was in critical condition, near death. He urgently needed an organ transplant. So the surgeon decided on his own, to use the organs from the deceased girl." There was a short pause before Yoshimura spoke again. "Those organs seem to have belonged to Rize-chan."

"Rize!?" Touka voiced the confusion of Yua as well as her own. How was it even possible for a human to turn into a ghoul after a transplant? Ridiculous! "She… She's dead? Because of an accident?" So Rize was no longer a threat in the area. It was a relief for Yua, as she didn't need to watch her back as much. She'd had a run in with Rize once, and regretted the incident entirely. It was a time where her life flashed before her.

"Even with a ghoul's regenerative abilities… It must have been a grave trauma with no chance of recovery… Thus, the fact that Rize's organs were used means…"

"That there's a human out there that has a ghoul's organs transplanted into him…?" That was a bit obvious, but astounding all the same. "Boss… That eye… Is he…"

"Yes. It's him. While this is the first case I've ever encountered… His body may be very close to resembling our own." Yua stirred in place, her body shivering with excitement. She knew there had been a reason the boy smelled familiar, and with Rize out of the picture there weren't many in the area that she couldn't deal with. She didn't have to watch her back as much now, and that made it easier to tail her subjects.

The door to the shop opened and Yua ducked down behind the ledge of the building. She knew that if it were Yoshimura that stepped outside the door he would know immediately where she was. Luckily, by the footsteps she heard it seemed to be Touka, and she relaxed a little bit. Slowly she poked her head over the edge of the building and watched the girl continue her cleaning for the night. Without making much sound she stood and backed away slowly, drifting into the shadows of the evening. She was about to turn around and head out when she bumped into something soft, and the only thing that kept her from screaming was her instinct. It wasn't hard to guess who it was behind her, and when she turned to face him, she immediately wanted to curl into a ball and disappear. She should have known better than to sneak around Anteiku…

"Good evening, Yua. It's been a while." Yoshimura looked her over with a smile on his face. "You're all grown up now too it seems. I'm glad you're still in good health."

"Hello, Yoshimura-sensei…" Yua hid her embarrassment at being caught behind a strong demeanor and straight posture. This was like being caught with your pants down at an orgy. No way out and no explanation needed.

"You're a bit late for coffee, young lady, but I think I might make an exception… Why don't you follow me inside and we can talk over a cup?"

"I'd love to, but I have something I have to attend to and I don't have much time to-"

"Don't worry about the boy, Yua," Yoshimura interrupted. "Touka will keep an eye on him for you. I'm sure everything else can wait?" Yua, unable to make any other excuse to leave, simply nodded and followed the old man off the roof and into the shop below. She was shown to a room upstairs and was told to wait a few minutes. Knowing that Yoshimura would simply just find her later if she ran, she sat there and waited impatiently, removing the jacket she had over her tank top. Her heart pounded, wondering what the one eyed ghoul could possibly be doing right now. Would he be enjoying the supply he had been given, or would he refuse to eat it? Knowing he had once been human opened up so many possibilities now, and Yua was desperate to know even more about him.

"So, Yua, I see that you've taken interest in the boy that was just here." Yoshimura came back into the room, holding a tray with coffee on it. "Do you mind if I ask why?" He handed a cup to the girl sitting on the couch in front of a table, and she took it hesitantly.

"He's interesting… I am curious about him." She was quick and abrupt with her answer, knowing that this would go faster if she simply answered the questions asked. A sip of her coffee later and the next question was already being asked.

"What kind of curious? Where will this infatuation lead to?" Yoshimura sat down across from the girl and poured himself a cup of coffee as well. It was the first time she had seen the old man drink a cup in a long time. It had been a while since they've seen each other in the first place really.

"I simply wish to obtain information, Yoshimura-sensei. Nothing more."

"And stalking the poor boy is your way of obtaining information?"

"The best way to obtain information is to study the direct object, is it not?" The old man sighed at the answer.

"You haven't changed very much, Yua, that is certain…" Yoshimura stood and went over to the window. "It feels like just yesterday you were a young lady coming into the shop to get food, and now you're a young woman… Have you pursued a degree in science?" The topic was changing now, and the female knew the old man was just delaying her from her goal on purpose. But why was her question. Why was she being held up?

"No, I haven't."

"You completed home school years ago. You were just finishing it up when you would come for food. Your mother worked very hard to teach you before she died. It's a shame you haven't gone farther with your career like you aspired to back then." Yua tried not to think about how she was letting her parents down by not continuing with a college education. She knew she could have gone by now. After all, she had finished up home school by the time she was sixteen, and now she would soon be celebrating her 20th birthday. But she would never be able to experience college. She'd never be able to have a roommate because of her eating habits, and she wasn't comfortable trying to fit into classes with hundreds of other people. Online classes would never have worked in a science major either. College just wasn't something for her, even though living with a narcissistic, sex crazed bastard wasn't really something she enjoyed either. But it was much less scary than college.

"I mean no offense, Yoshimura-sensei, but if you know that I have a goal I am trying to attain, why are you holding me from it?" Yua asked the question to pull her mind away from the failure – no, the coward she had become. She just wanted to leave. Talking to Yoshimura had always made her feel guilty, even now as an adult. Perhaps it was because he always held the morals of a human while helping the ghoul community. He was the pacifist of the species, and his peaceful demeanor made Yua feel like a monster.

"It's not like you to simply take an interest in someone, my child. I cannot help but believe that you have something else in store for our new guest…"

"I wish to learn about him, Yoshimura-sensei. A half-ghoul created from an organ transplant is a very curious entity and I won't let such a person slip through my hands." The old man sighed at the girl's answer and sat down across from her once again.

"Then I suppose there's no helping it…" Yua tilted her head at the unfinished sentence as Yoshimura set his coffee cup down. His eyes were shining brightly for the second time that night. "I'm making it your job to be his care taker. If you're so keen on studying him then you can babysit him." The female's eyes widened at the new order she had just received. There was no way that she could go against what Yoshimura told her to do, and it irked her to the core. Spying on someone was much easier when they didn't know you. "I have a feeling that this is no case of a simple transplant gone wrong. Until we figure out why this boy has gone from human to ghoul, you are to watch over him and make sure that he is safe. You can do your spying and studying all you like as long as no harm comes to him."

"Why are _you_ so interested in protecting this boy, Yoshimura-sensei? Why would you care if someone has other objectives with him?" Yua stood, pulling her jacket on. They could walk and talk. She had already wasted enough time.

"Helping fellow ghouls is my policy, you have experienced that yourself. Besides, I have a feeling this isn't the last time the boy will come to Anteiku." There was a pause while the two walked down the steps so Yua could leave. Once they reached the door, before he opened it for her, Yoshimura stopped and turned to face her with a smile. "Always remember, this boy was once human. He is the only one that can bring the humans and ghouls together. He is the only one who can see both sides. That is why he is important."

"You know I don't care about any of that, Yoshimura-sensei…"


End file.
